Chapter 1103: Shearing Sheep (II)

Dao meridians manifested in Li Hao’s body from the onslaught of energy. After devouring tremendous power of great dao, his acupoints popped open and a great number of the 360 dao meridians appeared.

After a pause, the young man vanished into the Hao Cosmos once more. Yuan Shuo waited anxiously on the spot.

Li Hao reappeared in a flurry of light.

“Come with me!” The young man grabbed Yuan Shuo before the latter had a chance to speak.

Yuan Shuo’s heart quailed as they shot through the universe. When they manifested in the tremendous Hao Cosmos, a bolt of thunder and lightning swept toward the old man!

He roared with fury and punched Li Hao, thinking that his student was infected by the enemy.

Bam!

A massive collision sounded as Li Hao grabbed his teacher’s fist.

“Teacher, I’m alright,” he smiled. “It’s you... I was contaminated by the enemy earlier and some of it leaked out. It might be affecting you, so let’s baptize you with the strength of great dao!”

Yuan Shuo’s eyes widened; a massive surge of power descended and churned toward Yuan Shuo. A mist of faint red rose from the old man’s body, only to be instantly eradicated by endless tendrils of power.

Yuan Shuo jerked with shock. How could this be?

He hadn’t touched that energy, how could he have been infected? This was horrifying!

“This exalted emperor existence is... terrifying!” Li Hao breathed out with relief after seeing the scarlet energy annihilated. “Teacher, try absorbing the remaining power.”

Yuan Shuo extended his mind toward the energy without hesitation. “This... is pure power of the dao meridian!” His face brightened with joy.

“That’s right!” Li Hao nodded.

Master and disciple looked at each other, understanding each other’s intention through the look in their eyes.

“If you head in a few more times, will that mean you can tempt them to contaminate you over and over again...” Yuan Shuo asked urgently.

“......” Li Hao burst out laughing and nodded. “That’s possible, but the guy at the seal isn’t a fool either. Once or twice might work—accidents might occur if I repeat those actions too many times. He’ll sense what I’m doing. Plus, there’s no rush. There’s another guy at the Saint level out there!”

And he might not be as terrifying as an exalted emperor...

Li Hao speculated before grinning broadly. “He’s a fat sheep heavy with wool, I’m going to shear everything I can from him! Teacher, we may stand a chance of going against a Saint of the ancient cities!”

He yanked Yuan Shuo out of the dao universe as he reappeared in the real world. The old man was highly excited by the latest development as he’d cleared at least three acupoints in the blink of an eye. This cultivation speed was entirely too fast!

......

This time, Li Hao darted through the void with his teacher instead of enjoying a run over the land. He vanished on the spot.

On the other hand.

A glum Director General Zhao looked dejectedly at Li Hao when the young man suddenly appeared. He opened his mouth to explain that he wasn’t under the influence, that this was all a misunderstanding. How would he expose himself and tell Ole Zhou his plans if he was being affected?

Li Hao needed to trust him more!

“Director General Zhao, go to Earthflare and have him modify your body,” Li Hao said before the director general had a chance to protest his innocence. “Strengthen yourself!”

“Um...”

“Go! And not just you. If possible, ask him if he’s willing to modify a lot more people. There are a lot of Silver Moon martial masters and powerhouses under our banner...”

“You’re joking!” snapped Director General Zhao. “That’s very dangerous! I’m unaffected only because I’m strong enough and my mind steady enough. Anyone with insufficient fixed intent may be influenced, even if they’re Hou Xiaochen or your master! They’ll become his slave!”

Li Hao had gone crazy, hadn’t he? He didn’t care what he tried in the pursuit of growing stronger. The director general could go only because he was familiar with the enemy, had spent many years plotting, and was highly prepared. The others would be going to their deaths!

“Teacher, influence that runs too deep may be hard to expel, but newly modified bodies should be able to be cleaned entirely.” Li Hao turned to Yuan Shuo. “I don’t know the specifics. He may not accept me if I go, so you can go with the director general and try being a lab rat!”

“Alright!” Yuan Shuo nodded, having no opinion to the contrary whatsoever.

“Let’s give it a try!” Li Hao turned back to Director General Zhao. “I’m willing to risk even my teacher, there’s nothing to fear. Just as my teacher’s said, who should be the one afraid at this stage?”

“......” The director general still thought that the young man had gone utterly barking mad!

“Right now, this instant, be quick about it!” commanded Li Hao.

“But... no one can get the better of me right now,” frowned the director general. “Once my modifications are complete and I walk out of the ruins, even you might have to incur great trouble taking me down, assuming overpowering me is possible.”

“Don’t worry. If I can’t, I’ll ask Senior Zhang for help. Can you measure up to a Saint?”

“......” The director general laughed wryly. “I’m more worried that he’ll slap me to death with a palm strike!”

Those of New Martial were bound to be very hostile toward the invader’s energy.

“Don’t worry and don’t underestimate the tolerance and reason of a Saint!” Li Hao grinned. “I’ll take care of everything. Time is of the essence, go now. I’ll make a trip to Skystar Town and bring Senior Zhang back with me. This is an opportunity, not a dangerous risk!

“The rest of you will stick with Director General Zhao. Director General Wang, keep a closer eye on things. The director general is not necessarily in the right frame of mind at the moment.”

Director General Zhao didn’t know what to say. Was that reminder necessary? He really didn’t think he was under any influence! He was still Zhao Shuguang!

Li Hao was simply too wary of him; the director general was becoming quite disgruntled about it. He’d exhausted himself for Silver Moon and Skystar, putting everything on the line. In the end, all that won him was Li Hao’s distrust!

It was maddening! The kid hadn’t even been born when he safeguarded Silver Moon!

Director General Zhao frowned, but didn’t voice any of his complaints. He simply felt... annoyed.

“Director General Zhao... seems to be dissatisfied with the commander,” Gan Wuliang’s voice sounded in Li Hao’s ear.

The young man raised an eyebrow as he looked at the person in question. He didn’t question the director general’s loyalty and responsibility, just that he really might be unconsciously affected by the enemy.

He was only doing this out of precaution. Given Director General Zhao’s personality, he shouldn’t be dissatisfied. He should be cooperating more eagerly instead.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

As Li Hao thought, this kind of influence could change one imperceptibly. It was rightly terrifying!

It enlarged the desires of one’s heart, and was it only limited to Director General Zhao? No wonder so many choose to betray New Martial despite knowing how formidable the Human King was. The hearts of the traitors, including Skystar Vice Commander Sun Xin, had long been lost in a wash of personal motives.

Otherwise, how would they dare betray their own civilization?

As for Ying Hongyue, he might have truly negated some of that influence after consolidating the bloodlines of the eight families. He would not be so rational at this point in time if his desires had continued to be magnified uncontrollably.

As various thoughts rose in his mind, Li Hao transmitted to Director General Wang, “Be careful of Director General Zhao. Keep a close eye on him.”

With that, the young man vanished on the spot. He needed help from Zhang An. The dean shouldn’t be opposed to lending a hand since they were going against Earthflare and not New Martial citizens. Earthflare was... very important!

Li Hao swiftly headed to the Skystar ruins.

......

The ruins of Skystar Town.

Zhang An roamed its streets, unable to venture out unless Li Hao lent him the ‘dao’ supernatural character. The young man couldn’t loan it to him indefinitely as he needed to use it himself. On this day, the man was rather surprised to see Li Hao suddenly pop up.

“You’ve... come back?”

Li Hao had taken a lot of people with him on his last visit, but not that many New Martial citizens. Apart from those with new bodies, he’d left almost all New Martial powerhouses behind.

The dean knew what Li Hao had in mind, but still didn’t offer to help the young man. He felt that Li Hao should understand his thoughts as well.

“Don’t worry, senior, we’re not marching against the New Martial main cities,” Li Hao grinned. “Even if I am, I would choose the city of the traitors! I believe that you and I, New Martial and Silver Moon, will reach a balance sooner or later!”

Zhang An looked ready to say something, but the young man swiftly changed the topic. “I’m going against a Saint from Red Moon major world. That’s the world that declared war on New Martial back in the day. Is the senior aware of it?”

“Red Moon?” Zhang An hesitated. “I know of this matter, but that’s not what we called them. When the main world communicated with us, it said that Senior Sun God called them the World of Desires!”

World of Desires!

Li Hao nodded. That was a very appropriate name. He was aware of the Sun God—the strongest of Initial Martial and an existence that rivaled the Human King.

Last time he was in Battle Heaven, the young man had witnessed a conversation between two exalted emperors though the city’s name. The Human King had said that the Sun God was injured—supposedly by a powerhouse from that universe.

“No matter what they’re called, there’s one of their powerhouses at the site of the first awakening—the Jade Mountain Town ruins. He’s similar to the Red Moon heavyweight that we killed before. Is senior interested in coming along with us?”

“Of course!” Zhang An nodded solemnly. “The main world fought that world, they are a kill target for New Martial! If we know where one of their heavyweights are, we must eradicate them!”

This wasn’t even a question that needed to be asked. If he found someone who he suspected to be from that world and was able to confirm such an existence, he would kill that person himself!

“That’s good!” laughed Li Hao. “This appetizer... should taste good.”

“......” Zhang An didn’t know what to say. This... was called an appetizer? “They should be pretty strong as being able to set off an awakening means they have no lack of energy. Perhaps they’ve maintained the strength of peak Saint...”

“Is the senior less than the enemy?”

“That I’m not.”

“That’s good!”

Zhang An had nothing more to say.

Fine then, I won’t say anything else.

Li Hao once more gave him the ‘dao’ character. The two quickly disappeared from Skystar Town.

Ripping through the void was not difficult after reaching the Sun and Moon level. The two swiftly appeared in the skies over Silver Moon and Li Hao located his people through his communication system.

The duo appeared in a spot that wasn’t too far from Rift Canyon.